Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site ulowell.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!wanginst!ulowell!rickheit From: rickheit@ulowell.UUCP (Erich W Rickheit) Newsgroups: net.puzzle,net.sci Subject: Re: A heavy problem (results) Message-ID: <632@ulowell.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Aug-86 13:51:00 EDT Article-I.D.: ulowell.632 Posted: Fri Aug 8 13:51:00 1986 Date-Received: Mon, 11-Aug-86 02:59:28 EDT References: <1033@mmm.UUCP> <2939@sdcrdcf.UUCP> Reply-To: rickheit@ulowell.UUCP (Erich W Rickheit) Distribution: net Organization: University of Lowell Lines: 38 Keywords: flam, gravity, height Xref: watmath net.puzzle:1973 net.sci:1485 Summary: The _other_ kind of flame In article <2939@sdcrdcf.UUCP> lwall@sdcrdcf.UUCP (Larry Wall) writes: >In article <1033@mmm.UUCP> cipher@mmm.UUCP (Andre Guirard) writes: >>>In fact, the raven says he can't think of _anything_ that would be >>>taller and thinner under higher gravity. If anyone can think of >>>something, or can refute the raven on some point, I'd be happy to hear >>>of it. > > >Thinking a bit more about the flame in 0 g being round--surely you believe >that the transition from a round flame at 0 g to a long flame at 1 g is >continuous? I doubt there's some amount of gravity at which the flame suddenly >springs from being round to being long (catastrophe theory notwithstanding). >Given this presumption, is there any reason to suppose the the transition >from round to long flame stops at 1 g? Maybe the length of a flame peaks or >plateaus out at 2g. > Consider: a flame (net not included :-) is glowing hot gas from a combustion. Under 0g (free fall) it will of course tend to be spherical, if the gases do not actually diffuse outward.(In actuality, things like candles in free fall do not form spheres, but collapse into a glowing ember at the top of the wick) The height of the flame depends on the relative density of the gases and of the surrounding atmosphere. The less relatively dense the glowing gases are, the taller and narrower your flame will be. Does gravity effect the atmosphere in the same way it effects the hot gases? I certainly hope so. -- a lesser Power of Darkness This is indeed an opinion; whose fault it is, I don't know. UUCP: ...wanginst!ulowell!rickheit USnail: Erich Rickheit 85 Gershom Ave, #2 Lowell, MA 01854 Phone: (617) 453-1753